BOOTHEEL JOBLESS RATE CONTINUES CLIMBING

DEXTER -- While the number of Missourians actively seeking work in June was at the lowest rate in 20 years, the number of Bootheel residents looking for a job continued to climb.

Stoddard County's jobless rate in June was 5.4 percent, second only to Scott County's 5.1 percent among the six Bootheel counties. Stoddard's rate seven-tenths above level posted in May, according to the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

According to the agency, the number of people with jobs in June increased by about 28,600. A total of 2.84 million Missourians were working last month, an increase of more than 75,000 from the level in June of last year.

However, the statewide unemployment rate, which stood at 3.9 percent last month, was an increase of eight-tenths of a point from the May rate.

Indeed, despite the strong workforce numbers statewide, in June only six counties saw their unemployment rates fall -- Shannon, Dent, Henry, Stone, Taney and Worth. Two counties maintained their jobless level from May, Carter and Morgan.

While four of the six Bootheel counties had jobless rates separated only by a few percentage points, the other two were lagging significantly behind, based on the figures provided by the state agency.

Behind Scott and Stoddard were Dunklin County with 5.5 percent unemployment, Mississippi County with 5.7, New Madrid County at 6.8 and Pemiscot with 8.2.

New Madrid County's jobless rate in June was 2.5 percent higher than the May level; Pemiscot's June rate was a full point above it's May rate.

The labor department said statewide job increases were posted in the amusement and construction sectors -- normal for the summer months -- and decreased in the nonfarm sector, primarily because of a loss of jobs in school and university employment following the end of the spring semester.

For the year, the state's service-sector jobs grew by more than 9,000 while in the manufacturing sector more than 9,200 jobs were lost.

The Associated Press contributed information for this article.